Lighting Shop

Lighting Shop

By the numbers

• 4 lighting technicians
• 20 different lighting control programs 
• 190,000+ lights supported

From classrooms, offices and laboratories to emergency lighting systems and other interior building fixtures, our Lighting Shop (part of our Building Maintenance Services department) helps keep the UC Davis campus safe, functional and illuminated.

Maintaining lighting across a campus the size of a small city requires far more than replacing bulbs. The team manages more than 190,000 lights across 1,200+ buildings while navigating aging infrastructure, evolving regulations and a steady stream of service requests. Their work also includes retrofitting fixtures to meet changing energy and lighting standards and ensuring lamps, ballasts and other lighting components are handled and disposed of in accordance with environmental regulations.

With just four lighting technicians—each carrying more than 100 open work orders—the shop focuses first on work that affects life safety, regulatory compliance and critical campus operations. This risk-based approach ensures limited resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact, helping support the university's teaching, research and public service mission.

Please note that exterior lighting, including streetlights, pathway lighting and parking lot lighting, is maintained by Facilities Management'sUtilities Operationsteam.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why can lighting repairs take so long?

• Indoor lighting repairs are often more complex than simply replacing a bulb. UC Davis maintains more than 70,000 lights across classrooms, laboratories, offices, research facilities and other campus buildings with a limited number of specialized lighting technicians responsible for maintaining them.

  In addition, California energy and environmental regulations have significantly changed how lighting systems can be repaired or replaced. Aging infrastructure, discontinued lighting products and code requirements can all add time and complexity to repairs.

  Our technicians prioritize work based on risk, focusing first on life safety, regulatory compliance and issues that affect critical campus operations. As a result, routine lighting repairs may take longer than expected.

  If you have questions about the status or prioritization of a work order, please contact the Customer Experience Center.

• Why can’t Facilities just replace my fluorescent light?

• California has adopted increasingly strict energy-efficiency and environmental regulations that are phasing out many fluorescent lighting products in favor of newer LED technologies.

  Beginning January 1, 2024, California prohibited the sale and distribution of many compact fluorescent lamps. A second phase of the law took effect January 1, 2025, expanding the prohibition to include pin-base compact fluorescent lamps and most linear fluorescent lamps commonly used in commercial and institutional buildings.

  These changes are part of broader state efforts to reduce hazardous waste and improve energy efficiency. Fluorescent lamps contain mercury, a toxic heavy metal that can pose risks to human health and the environment if bulbs break or are improperly disposed of. With mercury-free LED alternatives now widely available, California is transitioning away from older fluorescent technologies toward lighting systems that are safer, more energy efficient and more sustainable over the long term.

  In addition, California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24) require certain lighting repairs and replacements to meet updated energy-efficiency and control requirements. In some cases, a failed fixture cannot simply be replaced “like for like.” Instead, the repair may trigger additional upgrade requirements involving:

  • • new fixtures or retrofit kits,
    • updated wiring or controls,
    • occupancy sensors or smart lighting systems,
    • electrical modifications,
    • and additional compliance review.

  
  As a result:

  • • Entire fixtures may need to be retrofitted or upgraded instead of simply repaired.
    • Replacement parts for older systems are increasingly difficult to source.
    • Material costs and labor requirements have increased substantially.
    • Repairs often take longer due to permitting, code compliance and compatibility issues with aging infrastructure.
     

  While LED systems reduce long-term energy use and maintenance costs, the transition from older fluorescent systems is more complex, labor-intensive and expensive than a traditional bulb replacement.

• Why are LED replacements more expensive?

• While LED lighting is more energy efficient and lasts longer over time, the upfront cost of converting older campus buildings can be significant.

  In many cases, transitioning to LED systems involves more than changing a bulb. It may require:

  • • New fixtures or retrofit kits
    • Updated wiring or controls
    • Compatibility testing with older electrical systems
    • Occupancy sensors or smart control integration required by California energy codes
    • Specialized equipment and labor to install safely

  
  LED products themselves are also generally more expensive than older fluorescent technologies, particularly for specialized fixtures used in laboratories, research facilities or high-ceiling spaces.

  Although LEDs reduce long-term energy use and maintenance costs, the initial investment and labor required to modernize aging infrastructure can slow the pace of repairs and upgrades — especially during periods of staffing and budget constraints.

• Why are lighting upgrades and LED conversions taking so long?

• Lighting upgrades across a university campus are often far more complex than simply replacing a bulb or fixture. Many campus buildings contain aging electrical systems that were not designed for modern LED technology and current energy-efficiency requirements.

  In many cases, lighting upgrades require:

  • • electrical infrastructure improvements,
    • fixture replacement or retrofit work,
    • compatibility testing with older systems,
    • occupancy sensors and smart lighting controls,
    • emergency backup integration,
  • • compliance with California energy regulations, including Title 24 requirements.

  
  Some projects may also require hazardous materials review, including asbestos testing or abatement, before work can begin in older buildings. In laboratories, animal facilities and specialized research environments, lighting systems may also need to meet strict operational, safety or regulatory requirements that add complexity to the work.

  In addition, California and federal regulations are phasing out many older fluorescent lighting products, making replacement parts harder to source and often requiring full system upgrades rather than simple repairs.

  Because these projects can be expensive, labor-intensive and disruptive to building operations, lighting upgrades and LED conversions are typically completed in phases based on available funding, staffing, safety priorities and operational needs.

• Why do some lights stay out even when they’ve been reported?

• Facilities prioritizes lighting repairs based on risk and safety. For example:

  • • Emergency egress and life-safety lighting
    • Classroom or research disruptions elevate urgency
  • • Single-bulb outages in low-risk office areas may take longer
     

  In brief, non-critical lighting issues may remain unresolved longer due to staffing and budget limitations.